Minnesota filing for all federal and state office closed on June 3. Here is a link to the Secretary of State’s web page, listing candidates. There are three ballot-qualified parties, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Republican, and Independence. Candidates running in the primaries of these three parties do not need any petition to get on their own party’s primary ballot. The primary is August 12.

This year, the Independence Party only has 4 candidates for the state legislature, the smallest number since the party first had its own primary, starting in 1996 (during 1996 and 1998, the party’s name was the Reform Party). The party had the highest number of legislative nominees in its history in 2002, the year it elected a State Senator, Sheila Kiscaden. It had 43 legislative nominees that year.

The Independence Party does have a full slate for all the statewide offices this year, and has a contested primary for U.S. Senate and Secretary of State. It has U.S. House candidates in four of the eight districts.

Among the unqualified parties, the Libertarian Party has a full slate of statewide candidates. The Green Party has a candidate for Attorney General, one for U.S. House, and two for State House. The Constitution Party has one for State House. The Grassroots Party has changed its name to “Grassroots-Legalize Cannabis Party.” It has candidates for Governor/Lt. Governor, and Auditor. There is one statewide independent candidate for Attorney General who has the ballot label “Legal Marijuana Now.” There are no independent candidates for U.S. House or state legislature. Thanks to Oliver Steinberg for this news.